West End Coffee Two New Roaster's Reserve Coffees!

by Sam KleinFebruary 21, 2017

West End Coffee Roasters introduced two NEW Roaster's Reserve Coffees this past week, Burundi Gatare and Ethiopia Celinga.

Burundi Gatare

The Burundi Gatare comes from a small, landlocked nation in East Africa sharing certain economic and demographic similarities with neighboring Rwanda. Burundi's economy was devastated by a 1993 civil war, but the coffee industry has been very slowly recovering. Coffees from Burundi share similar flavor profiles to what you might expect from Kenya or Tanzania.

This coffee in particular comes from the Gatare washing station, where small holder farmers bring their crops for processing. At the washing station, coffee fruits are mechanically stripped off the seed (or green coffee bean), soaked, rinsed, and dried. This method of processing yields clarity and complexity in the cup.

This is a light roast with a prominent acidity which we have compared to cranberry, tangerine, lime, and apricot. Like some other East African coffees, it is slightly savory. It will most likely appeal to those who like Kenya coffee.

Ethiopia Celinga

This coffee comes from the Celinga washing station in Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region. Coffee is indigenous to Ethiopia, and most of coffee's genetic diversity is confined there. As a result, Ethiopia is now known for complex, interesting, and fruit-forward coffees. Depending on the processing method used(that is, the method by which the seed or green coffee bean is removed from the fruit), Ethiopian coffees are often either delicate and floral (like Celinga) or syrupy with prominent berry notes (like Harrar).

This coffee is floral and fruity, reminiscent peaches, pears, and sweet lemon or lime. It is likely a little more approachable than the Gatare and ought to please anyone who enjoyed the Buufata Konga (which shares the same region and processing method).